Volume 1, Chapter 27: When people are speechless, they really do feel like laughing!

Fortunately, the hour was still early. With a hefty sum of banknotes tucked into her bodice and having already hired Brother Da-Niu for the day, she decided that rather than returning to the village with an empty cart, it would be better to finish purchasing their New Year’s supplies. This year, at last, they would be able to enjoy a prosperous holiday.

As soon as the little one heard they were going to the market, her mouth curled into a delighted grin. She cheered and hopped about, "Yay! We're going to the market! Mommy is the best; Tang-Tang really loves Mommy!"

Jiang Xian chuckled, "No wonder Grandma says your mouth is smeared with honey—you certainly know how to say the sweetest things!"

Tang-Tang covered her tiny mouth with a smile, shaking her head in denial, "No honey! Tang-Tang really does love Mommy!"

"Good, Mommy loves Tang-Tang too!"

Jiang Xian instructed Chen Da-Niu to drive the donkey cart toward the vegetable market. It was the busiest part of Junxi County, a long street where rice shops, clothing boutiques, and gold and silver stores were all clustered together.

Today was only the second day of the month; it would be even livelier when the grand market day arrived on the third, at which time the entire street would be so packed one could hardly move.

Although the grand market was bustling, Jiang Xian disliked squeezing through crowds. If one wasn't careful, pickpockets would target their purses; there were simply too many risks.

As noon approached, the street near the vegetable market was somewhat quiet, as the peddlers had gone off to eat. At the corner of the street, an old woman was selling fermented rice balls in sweet soup; steam rose from the pot, and the aroma was enticing.

Jiang Xian turned to Chen Da-Niu and asked, "Brother Da-Niu, would you like a bowl of fermented rice balls?"

Chen Da-Niu quickly shook his head and waved his hands, "No, it's fine. I brought my own dry rations. You and Tang-Tang eat; don't worry about me!"

"It's alright, my treat!" Jiang Xian spoke with uncharacteristic generosity. She was always liberal with small change, and since she often loaded his cart with plenty of goods, she sometimes felt a bit guilty.

"That's too kind, and it's not easy for you to earn money hunting in the mountains!" Although Chen Da-Niu wanted a bowl, he was too embarrassed to let a young woman pay for his meal.

"I had plenty of game yesterday, and I sold everything to the Tianwei Pavilion restaurant this morning, so I have enough for a few bowls of soup!" Jiang Xian patted her chest and firmly made the decision. She had Chen Da-Niu park the donkey cart in a nearby alley and tie it to a tree before the three of them walked toward the old woman’s stall.

"Granny, three big bowls of fermented rice balls, please!" Jiang Xian found a seat for Tang-Tang and herself, called out, and then fished fifteen coins from her pocket to place on the table.

"Coming right up!" The old woman agreed, skillfully scooping the rice balls from the hot pot into large bowls. She quickly served them and collected the fifteen coins. She glanced subconsciously at the child in Jiang Xian’s arms and smiled, "Is this your daughter? She’s truly bright and beautiful; she’ll surely marry into a good family one day!"

Jiang Xian laughed, "Yes, thank you for those kind words, Granny. Let’s hope our Tang-Tang grows up to marry an official and live a life of luxury!"

"With a daughter as pretty as yours, she’ll certainly be an official's wife!"

Jiang Xian had no idea that her words would prove prophetic; the person Tang-Tang would eventually marry was beyond anyone’s imagination—but that was a story for another time.

Jiang Xian set Tang-Tang on a small stool, handed her a bowl, and used a spoon to stir it and blow away the steam before giving it to the child. She cautioned, "Remember to blow on every bite so you don't burn your tongue."

"Mm-hmm, okay!" Tang-Tang leaned over the table, happily eating.

Jiang Xian then beckoned for Chen Da-Niu to eat as well.

Chen Da-Niu still felt awkward, but since the food was already bought, he steeled himself and sat down to eat.

The old woman was an honest vendor; each bowl contained eight large rice balls filled with sweet black sesame paste. They were generous with the sugar, and as one bit into them, the black sesame syrup would ooze out.

"These rice balls are chewy and delicious, and the sesame filling is plentiful—truly good!" Chen Da-Niu remarked. Even as a man who didn't care much for sweets, he couldn't help but praise them.

Jiang Xian looked proud and smiled, "Of course! The old woman’s reputation isn’t just talk. Even in these past three years when times were tough, her business has remained excellent. She makes quite a bit of money every day."

The old woman, busy at the side, felt embarrassed by the compliment and smiled modestly, "Hehe, it’s all thanks to you patrons. This old woman has no other skills; I only know how to make this soup."

"Knowing just this one thing is enough. It’s not about how many things you can do, but how well you do them!" Jiang Xian added.

Chen Da-Niu and Tang-Tang looked at Jiang Xian with envy; she was so articulate, and more importantly, what she said always made sense.

Chen Da-Niu couldn't help but think: they were both women, so why was Jiang Xian so sharp and eloquent, while the other village women only knew how to gossip about each other’s business and lacked any real insight?

Suddenly, the sound of horse hooves rang out on the long street, and a clear, booming voice echoed from one end to the other:

"Good news! Good news! Scholar Yu Zhiy, the top student of our Junxi County Academy, has placed first in the Autumn Provincial Examination, becoming the *Jieyuan*—the top scholar of the Baiyun Prefecture! Three days from now, Scholar Yu will return to pay his respects to his teachers at the County Academy!"

Baiyun Prefecture governed six cities and eighteen counties. There were six or seven thousand scholars taking the provincial exam, and only about one in a hundred—a mere hundred or so—would pass. For Yu Zhiy to achieve the top rank of *Jieyuan* showed just how extraordinary his scholarly prowess was.

The Great Xia Dynasty was structured into one capital and nine provinces. Baiyun Prefecture had never produced a truly brilliant scholar, so Yu Zhiy's success was a major event. He was now a prime candidate for the Metropolitan Examination in the capital; if he were to become the top scholar there as well, he would be a rare talent indeed.

Yu Zhiy had also been the top student in the prefectural and county examinations. The only slight imperfection was that he hadn't placed first in the initial county and prefectural tests; otherwise, he would have been a "six-time champion," a miracle that would have shocked the entire dynasty.

The herald rode his horse, whipping it forward, announcing the joyous news with great enthusiasm. People on the street began to swell with pride.

A few poor scholars eating noodles at a nearby stall couldn't help but voice their jealousy and bitterness.

"What’s so great about it? It’s just his family’s influence at work! I refuse to believe that someone who only ranked in the dozens in the county and prefectural exams could suddenly become so brilliant and sweep the provincial exam."

"Brother Zichen, you shouldn't speak of Scholar Yu that way. He comes from the Yu family of Qingzhou; they have always been gifted at scholarship. Didn't his grand-uncle become a Jinshi and enter the Imperial Ancestral Temple years ago?"

"I still don't believe it. A good-for-nothing young master suddenly becomes so gifted? At the end of the day, it's because our family background isn't as strong as theirs; without connections, every step is a struggle!"

Jiang Xian turned to look at the two speakers. They wore the white robes of the County Academy, but they clearly looked like frustrated scholars from humble backgrounds.

If she remembered correctly, the top student of the county and prefectural exams was Qiao Xun, wasn't it?

Jiang Xian, holding her bowl of soup, moved closer and asked in a low voice, "Excuse me, was Scholar Yu not a good student before?"

The two scholars were startled by Jiang Xian’s sudden interjection, but they quickly composed themselves.

"He wasn't good at all. I'd say he was mediocre. He used to hang around other wealthy, influential students at the academy, making a mess of things. Who would have thought that three years ago, he would suddenly have a breakthrough? He swept the academy exams, went to the prefectural city to study, and now he’s even passed as the top *Jieyuan*. Who knows what kind of dumb luck he stumbled upon!" The complaining scholar finished his sentence and took a massive bite of his noodles, as if venting his anger.

Jiang Xian grew thoughtful, her eyes narrowing slightly.

The other scholar, seeing that a young girl was asking about such things, kindly warned her, "Young lady, just listen to these words, but don't go spreading them around. The Yu family has significant influence; they aren't people we can afford to offend!"

"Oh, I see! By the way, do you know Qiao Xun?" Jiang Xian asked again.

The two looked at each other and nodded.

The complaining scholar looked at Jiang Xian strangely and asked, "Young lady, why are you so interested in the affairs of scholars? Do you know Qiao Xun and Yu Zhiy as well?"

Jiang Xian shook her head, "No, I don't. But Qiao, the budding scholar, is from a village near mine. I heard he was praised as a prodigy since he was a child, and he even topped the county and prefectural rankings. I thought he would pass the scholar exam three years ago, but he’s had such bad luck that he hasn't been able to participate for three years in a row. So, hearing you say that Yu Zhiy wasn't very smart before but has now become a completely different person, I was just curious and wanted to 'eat some gossip'!"

The scholar didn't understand the slang and scratched his head in confusion, "Huh? It's freezing outside, where would you find melons to eat? Are you saying you want winter melon?"

Jiang Xian: "..."

When one is truly speechless, one really does want to laugh!

Jiang Xian cleared her throat, unable to look at the scholar’s bewildered face, and laughed, "It's nothing. I'm just curious if there’s some hidden secret here! One brilliant student suddenly falls, while another who wasn't brilliant suddenly rises to become the top *Jieyuan*. Isn't that strange?"

Prompted by Jiang Xian, the two scholars also began to look puzzled.

"Now that you mention it, it really is strange. All this change started three years ago!"

The other scholar seemed to realize something, quickly pulled six coins from his pocket, placed them on the table, and grabbed his companion, Zichen, to leave. He didn't forget to warn Jiang Xian, "Young lady, we have things to do at the academy, so we'll be going. Whatever you heard today, don't spread it around, lest you bring trouble upon yourself!"

With that, the two hurried away.

Jiang Xian narrowed her eyes, a glimmer of sharp intelligence flashing within them.

Things were indeed not as simple as they seemed!

But if the problem was this obvious, did Qiao Xun know it himself?

Jiang Xian returned to her seat with her bowl, her mind racing on how she could subtly warn Qiao Xun. Perhaps his fate had truly been stolen by someone else!

Otherwise, such an incredible reversal of fortunes was simply too bizarre.

Tang-Tang and Chen Da-Niu looked at Jiang Xian with confusion.

"Mommy, what is a *Jieyuan*? Are they a very powerful person?"